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Once the US successfully built and used nuclear weapons to devastating effect to end the Second World War, other great powers of the time realized that the acquisition of nuclear weapons was essential to maintain their status. In 1970, after three decades of hectic developments,

The first part of this effort documented the various acts of omission and commission by the non-proliferation ayatollahs that led to the 1998 nuclear weapons testing of India, followed by Pakistan. However, the stark reality of the consequences of the dubious policies adopted by the NPAs towards Pakistani and Chinese proliferation came to light recently in the exposé of the Pakistan¿s ¿nuclear father¿ Dr.A.Q.Khan and his nuclear smuggling rin

Iraq is back in the headlines, loaded with euphoria. The electoral exercise has been undertaken; the results have yet to be announced. The running commentary on CNN on January 30 tended to suggest a near perfect exercise. No mention of course was made of the invasion, the occupation, the Iraqi dead, the reduction of Iraq to a stone-age condition, the falsehood of the pretext for war and the failure to find traces of weapons of mass destruction

Geopolitics has split the world again and bloc-wise trade arrangements will have winners and losers

At some point in the near future, everyone will have a smart digital device. The new digital divide will be of those with access to interactive digital content and those without.

Like the proverbial phoenix of Greek mythology that rose from its ashes, the Taliban is resurrecting in Afghanistan. The good news is that the ¿rising Taliban¿, on the one hand, is supposed to be moderate, and on the other hand, seems to have severed its links with Al Qaeda. The bad news is that it is still the Taliban.

The mass exodus of the Rohingyas from Myanmar to Bangladesh in 2017 has caused ramifications in the two countries’ bilateral relations. The underlying currents between the two nations have become more apparent following two failed repatriation efforts since the exodus. The public display of dissatisfaction and blame-game have only fuelled the tensions. This brief examines how far the Rohingya issue has affected the connectivity, trade and secur

China is often viewed through the lenses of commerce, geopolitics, and political economy. At the fringes of these lies Chinese agriculture—and its domestic and global impact. This brief analyses the evolution of Chinese agriculture, from the revolutionary Maoist period to the present. It describes the Chinese government’s strategy to ensure food self-sufficiency for an increasingly voracious consumer base. In particular, it examines the produ

India and Russia are showing an appetite for continued economic engagement. Bilateral trade increased exponentially from US$12.34 billion in 2022 to US$65 billion in 2023; the target is US$100 billion by 2030. To achieve such a level of economic cooperation, the private sector in both countries will need to increase their participation. This brief assesses the presence of India’s private sector in Russia and evaluates the potential for enhanced

For over seven decades the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took justifiable pride in the stability of its political system, the tranquility of its social scene, and the in the overall loyalty of its citizenry. The compelling simplicity of the Saudi flag reflected the cohesion. Occasional murmurs of discontent, and an eruption or two in recent decades, did not belie this judgment.

The 55-45 percent Scotland referendum against independence has revived the on-again-off-again discourse of the kind among Sri Lankan Tamils (SLT), one more time. Rather, certain Tamil web campaigns have cited even a 'No' vote in Scotland to justify their demand for a referendum in the SLT community.

The 2004 annual piracy report published by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) had noted that the Tsunami tidal waves that hit Sumatra in Indonesia might have destroyed the piracy related infrastructure. Some of the pirates may have even perished in the disaster. Besides, there was also a large naval presence and may have acted as a deterrent against piracy activity in the Malacca Straits.

Rekindling a romance is never easy. However, if the expansive agenda unveiled by Modi and Obama is matched by bureaucratic purposefulness in Delhi and Washington, India and America have a second chance at building a strategic partnership of considerable consequence.

There is a shift in rhetoric from former Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel's statement that the US has been "clear and consistent" on not taking positions on "competing territorial claims" to Ashton Carter's clear insistence on American action in the event of assertive activities of one country.

India ranks 114 out of 142 countries in the Global Gender Gap index this year. Except Pakistan, most of the South Asian countries rank higher than India. What the index shows is a reflection of reality that no matter how rapidly India grows, women's status in society needs faster improvement.

An Indian Prime Minister's visit to China has always been of strategic significance. Rajiv Gandhi's visit to China in 1988 following Wangdung episode resulted in the formulation of Mutual Understanding, Mutual Accommodation and Mutual Adjustment for a long-term Sino Indian boundary solution.

The private sector can best fill the skilling gap. The information technology industry did this to grow and continues to do. Old economy companies in steel, cement, chemicals, engineering and construction are less willing to fund this public good. They complain that trained employees leave for better opportunities and skilling becomes a never-ending drain on company resources.

We risk missing out on a generational opportunity to shape global development through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In a talk at ORF, Dr. Bjon Lomborg, head of the Copenhagen Consensus think tank presented a critical evaluation of the 17 SDGs and 169 associated targets.

It is commendable that the prime minister has raised the issue of black money at an international level. The solution, however, lies in following up on commitment for 'more governance and less government' by implementing networked and integrated digital solutions.

Even though the territorial disputes in the South China Sea is nothing new, the recent confrontations among China, the Philippines, and Vietnam have sparked global concerns. It is being feared that the region is becoming a new flashpoint with serious security consequences.

Prime Minister Modi's moves on the social sector insurance policy for the poor stand out as an outstanding achievement. But in all other sectors much needs to be done and assessments on the government's performance are divided.

Tunisia, Eygpt, Syria?events may seem to be following a pattern but the changing dynamics in West Asia point to far more complex political and strategic games being played: The US role, Saudi phobia, Israeli and Iranian intrigues. Oil. And, to top it all, the Shia-Sunni face-off. Is Turkey being lured in as a possible Joker in the pack? Welcome to another Great Game.

The real story for strong India-Australia relations lies beyond uranium. With one of the world's strongest mining sectors, Australia can help India exploit its own natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way and thereby address one of the major current constraints on India's economic growth.

Grouped under key issues, the just released publication titled 'The Strategic Rationale for Deeper U.S- Indian Economic Ties' by Dr Ashley Tellis and Dr C. Raja Mohan examines the strategic rationale for expanding U.S-Indian economic integration.

India has wider stakes in South China Sea as nearly 55% of India’s trade with the Indo-Pacific region passes through these waters.

Antony has done India a huge favour by absorbing pressure from different lobbies and allowing IAF to select the best possible fighter aircraft.

Ever since I returned from Kabul, I am frequently asked by friends: when are the Americans leaving? When I say, "I don't know", I am dismissed like someone who has wasted his time in Afghanistan and returned without finding an answer to a universal query.

As Myanmar's general elections draws nearer and at a time when China's relations with Myanmar's military-backed government comes under increasing strains in recent months, Beijing seems to be stepping up its multiple-engagement strategy with key political actors to prepare itself for any eventuality post-elections.

Politicians and diplomats usually move on when an infinitely sad event eventually settles in the private domain. But that should not happen in the case of the tragic death of Maniappan Raman Kutty near Kandahar in Afghanistan last week at the hands of the Taliban.

With newer forms of identities taking over the older ones and parochialism and regional chauvinism becoming the new lingo of identity in the age of Twitter and Facebook, time is now ripe for a serious debate on reorganisation of States in India. The country can no longer afford to postpone this serious public policy issue.

Participants at a panel discussion on "The Changing Face of National Security Work - The Threat and Opportunity of Data" reiterated the importance of striking a balance: between civil liberties and national security, between sovereignty and international cooperation and between individual convenience and protection.

The three B's of Brahmaputra, reverberating the essential constituents of this River system, needs to be evaluated to understand the intricacy of the emerging situations.

In the short term, it appears Libya will be divided between East and West. The world, including the Arab public and 20 million Muslims in Europe, will see the partitioning of the country for what it is: not to stop the "slaughter" of the innocents but for Libya's light crude for which European refineries are specially geared.

The ¿injured innocence¿ in Prabhakaran¿s annual ¿Heroes¿ Day¿ address notwithstanding, the first major LTTE reaction to the ¿southern developments¿ following its counter-proposals to the Sri Lankan peace process has been on expected lines. While swearing by the peace process, Prabhakaran has once again hinted at the possibility of the LTTE going on the separatist route, and to war, if left with no other choice.

The Mehdi Masroor Biswas case has exposed our intelligence preparedness to fight cyber terrorism. Our intelligence agencies were not able to identify the owner of @shamiwitness Twitter account because of a spoofed IP address. Laughable, if it were not a matter of national security.

Given that Pakistan has close ties with North Korea, it may not be difficult to visualise that the North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile technology may well find its way into Pakistan. Such an introduction would seriously affect the delicate strategic balance of South Asia and start another round of arms/ missile race.

While "guns are as American as covered wagons and the infield-fly rule", unless there are sensible gun control measures, the tragedy of Tucson won't be the last of its kind.

More than ever before, the United States needs the continued support of the European Union (EU) in defence and security matters, especially in the war against terrorism. A draft security strategy prepared in June 2003 by Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Security and Foreign Policy (CFSP) delineated the threats to security in Europe; international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and failed states.

In Lima and Paris, the global community must ensure that obsession with the legal nature of the post-Kyoto agreement does not detract from achieving what is eminently possible. The next year will in any case determine whether or not climate multilateralism will work.

Past debates on waiving certain sections of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) have centred on issues such as development and technology transfers. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more urgency to such discussions, prompting India and South Africa to table a waiver proposal in October 2020. This brief discusses the evolution of the TRIPS Agreement and the link between the a

The Narendra Modi government has shown signs that it doesn’t mean to let Trump’s stance on Iran derail the oil trade with it

Is the R&AW or any other intelligence service infallible? The answer is no. Is the R&AW competent? The answer is yes. Does it need continuous reform and upgrading? Of course, yes.

Sri Lanka has suffered the most human fatalities (30,000 plus) and infrastructure and other property damage after Indonesia in the catastrophic Tsunami disaster of December, 26, 2004.